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NEED to UNDERSTAND about Furled Leaders. Educate Me Please!

hi folks, yesterday, I drove 80 miles RT to my closest Orvis store in hopes of seeing, holding and possibly purchasing my first furled leader. It did not happen. As I understand f leaders, the advantages of using one are for strength, the ability to reuse the leader portion and the ability to change tippets easily. I fish primarily for trout, bass and panfish when we go to our cabin in WVa. However, when at our home outside of D.C. I fish for stripers and plan to fish for snakeheads in the POTOMAC. (We even have a tournament to catch snakeheads! Another story for that one....last week a fellow angler caught one that was 36in long and very hefty.) Any way, it is for heavy duty fishing that I am considering a furled leader for my 7-8 wt rod. I am assuming that such a leader would most likely have a small metal ring to attach the tippet...a long piece of 10-12 pound mono. Is this correct???? My sales person didn't know what a furled leader is and said that a metal ring would deter the fish. I asked if their braided leaderswere somewhat similar except that one is braided and the other furled. He didn't know that either. Neither did he know what cree hackle is either.I gave up and came home. Therefore, KI am at the mercy of my fellow faolers to teach me about furled leaders. Be patient ! Gerri

Gerri; A furled leader made from 4 lb. test mono or fluorocarbon will have a break strength of 12 lbs. Which should handle your Stripers. A braided leader is hollow and will spray water a furled leader is not and like your fly line will lose the water on the back cast. A thread leader can be treated with flotant and does a great job presenting dry fly's. PM your address and I'll send you a couple.

Gerri not sure exactly what bugs you will be throwing but a micro swivel might be beneficial over a standard ring. The help reduce twisting that occurrs with some flies. The ring and swivel don't detour the fish either. Fluorocarbon and mono leaders will be naturally stiffer than thread leaders with leaders made with mixtures to give a leader in between. People really seem to love these leaders.

I started furling my own leaders after buying Kathy Scotts DVD. I'm using 2 lb flouro and uni thread for my freshwater leaders to a ring. I'm using 4 lb flouro for my saltwater leaders looped to a three way size 10 swivel. I believe the breaking strength of the 4 lb is higher than 12 lbs though. I have broken off some shark in the surf on 14 lb tippet without a problem with the leader breaking. The swivel broke before any probems with my leader on my first set up. I wouldn't worry about the swivel or the ring having any affect on the fish.

At the risk of Hi Jacking this thread I must say Thanks Beaver!! We tie fly's with shinny bead heads so why on earth would a small ring or swivel 4' or more away bother a fish!!?? The more I read the more I agree with Lefty!!